The Apostles Creed

This is the Apostles Creed, as used in the Roman Catholic Church's liturgy.

This creed is considered to be a faithful summary of the Apostles' teaching. It is the ancient baptismal symbol of the Church at Rome. (See Catechism, 194.)

The Apostles Creed is one of the creeds that can be found in the Handbook of Prayers edited by James Socias.

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.Amen.

The Catholic Nicene Creed

This is the Catholic Nicene Creed, as used in the Roman Catholic Church's liturgy.

This creed is usually called just the "Nicene Creed." It is also called the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed, after its origin in the first two Church ecumenical Councils in 325 and 381.

The Catholic Nicene Creed is one of the creeds that can be found in the Handbook of Prayers edited by James Socias.

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all that is, seen and unseen.We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation, he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered, died, and was buried. On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.Amen.

The Catechism has a side-by-side comparison of the Catholic Nicene Creed with the Apostles Creed (the link is to that Catechism page on the Vatican's website).

The Athanasian Creed

This is the Athanasian Creed, as used in the Roman Catholic Church. It's used in the liturgy only rarely (sometimes on Trinity Sunday), but like all of the Church's creeds, it is still valid and respected.

Although no longer officially attributed to St. Athanasius (died in 373 A.D.), it still bears his name. This beautiful creed contains a detailed meditation on the nature of the Trinity.

The Athanasian Creed is also called the Quicumque vult, after its first words in Latin.

This creed can also be found in the Handbook of Prayers, edited by James Socias.

Whoever wishes to be saved must, above all, keep the Catholic faith.

For unless a person keeps this faith whole and entire, he will undoubtedly be lost forever.

This is what the Catholic faith teaches: we worship one God in the Trinity and the Trinity in unity.

Neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the substance.

For there is one person of the Father, another of the Son, another of the Holy Spirit.

But the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit have one divinity, equal glory, and coeternal majesty.

What the Father is, the Son is, and the Holy Spirit is.

The Father is uncreated, the Son is uncreated, and the Holy Spirit is uncreated.

The Father is boundless, the Son is boundless, and the Holy Spirit is boundless.

The Father is eternal, the Son is eternal, and the Holy Spirit is eternal.

Nevertheless, there are not three eternal beings, but one eternal being.

So there are not three uncreated beings, nor three boundless beings, but one uncreated being and one boundless being.

Likewise, the Father is omnipotent, the Son is omnipotent, the Holy Spirit is omnipotent.

Yet there are not three omnipotent beings, but one omnipotent being.

Thus the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God.

However, there are not three gods, but one God.

The Father is Lord, the Son is Lord, and the Holy Spirit is Lord.

However, there as not three lords, but one Lord.

For as we are obliged by Christian truth to acknowledge every Person singly to be God and Lord, so too are we forbidden by the Catholic religion to say that there are three Gods or Lords.

The Father was not made, nor created, nor generated by anyone.

The Son is not made, nor created, but begotten by the Father alone.

The Holy Spirit is not made, nor created, nor generated, but proceeds from the Father and the Son.

There is, then, one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three sons; one Holy Spirit, not three holy spirits.

In this Trinity, there is nothing before or after, nothing greater or less. The entire three Persons are coeternal and coequal with one another.

So that in all things, as is has been said above, the Unity is to be worshipped in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity.

He, therefore, who wishes to be saved, must believe thus about the Trinity.

It is also necessary for eternal salvation that he believes steadfastly in the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Thus the right faith is that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is both God and man.

As God, He was begotten of the substance of the Father before time; as man, He was born in time of the substance of His Mother.

He is perfect God; and He is perfect man, with a rational soul and human flesh.

He is equal to the Father in His divinity, but inferior to the Father in His humanity.

Although He is God and man, He is not two, but one Christ.

And He is one, not because His divinity was changed into flesh, but because His humanity was assumed unto God.

He is one, not by a mingling of substances, but by unity of person.

As a rational soul and flesh are one man: so God and man are one Christ.

He died for our salvation, descended into hell, and rose from the dead on the third day.

He ascended into heaven, sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

At His coming, all men are to arise with their own bodies; and they are to give an account of their own deeds.

Those who have done good deeds will go into eternal life; those who have done evil will go into the everlasting fire.

This is the Catholic faith. Everyone must believe it, firmly and steadfastly; otherwise He cannot be saved.

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all that is, seen and unseen.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation, he came down from heaven:

He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.

by the power of the Holy Spirit he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man.

He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered died and was buried.

On the third day he rose again.

On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures;

He ascended into heavenand is seated at the right hand of the Father.He will come again to judge the living and the dead

he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son.With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified.He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.We look for the resurrection of the dead,and the life of the world to come.Amen.

Luther's explanation of the Articles of the (Apostles') Creed from the Small Catechismposted here without the questions so as to form a single statement of faith:

I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my limbs, my reason, and all my senses, and still preserves them; in addition thereto, clothing and shoes, meat and drink, house and homestead, wife and children, fields, cattle, and all my goods; that He provides me richly and daily with all that I need to support this body and life, protects me from all danger, and guards me and preserves me from all evil; and all this out of pure, fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me; for all which I owe it to Him to thank, praise, serve, and obey Him. This is most certainly true.

I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned creature, purchased and won [delivered] me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil, not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, in order that I may be [wholly] His own, and live under Him in His kingdom, and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, even as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true.

I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Ghost has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith; even as He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith; in which Christian Church He forgives daily and richly all sins to me and all believers, and at the last day will raise up me and all the dead, and will give to me and to all believers in Christ everlasting life. This is most certainly true.

9
posted on 08/09/2008 6:41:35 PM PDT
by lightman
(Waiting for Godot and searching for Avignon)

For comparison purposes, here’s the version I learned as a youth in a Presbyterian church. I still stumble when I run across a modernized version:

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.

And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. AMEN.

Comparing our modern version to your version of the Apostle’s Creed, the key differences seem to be ‘conceived by the Holy Spirit’ rather than ‘by the power of...’; our ‘rose again from the dead’ rather than ‘rose again’; our ‘From there he will come to judge...’ rather than ‘He will come again...’; and, of course, the lower case ‘c’.

And, for further comparison purposes, the modern Reformed version of the Nicene Creed:

We believe in one God, the Father Almighty;
Maker of Heaven and Earth; of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of his Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God.
begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father;
by whom all things were made;
who for us and for our salvation
came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered and was buried;
and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures.
and ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father;
and he shall come again, with glory, to judge both the living and the dead;
whose kingdom shall have no end.

And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of live,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son;
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified;
who spoke by the prophets;
and we believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church’
we acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins;
and we look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come.

Lutheran rubrics on the Creed are changing. In the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America the use of a Creed is optional at any liturgy (”a creed may be said”).

From 1978 until 2007 the rubrics called for the Nicene Creed to be used on the Sundays from Advent 1 through the Baptism of Our Lord and from Transfiguration (fianl Sunday before Ash Wednesday) through The Holy Trinity, also for any major festival falling on Sundays, as Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles, did this year. The Apostles’ Creed was to be said on weekdays and, for want of better term, “green Sundays”. The rationale was that the Nicene Creed’s emphasis on Christology made it preferable for the Festal cycles.

With the publication of Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW) in 2007 the Sunday rubric was changed to encourage use of the Apostles’ Creed on Sundays in Lent with the rationale that since this Creed has its historic beginnings as a recitiation of the faith by Baptismal candidates its use is appropriate during the season of preparation for Baptism at the Easter Vigil. Pre-reformation there was the practice of “bestowing” this Creed to the catechumens on one of the Lenten Sundays.

20
posted on 08/09/2008 8:53:34 PM PDT
by lightman
(Waiting for Godot and searching for Avignon)

When there is a Baptism during Mass, all partake in the baptismal vows and the Nicene Creed is not said.

Likewise in the ELCA Lutheran liturgy; the only exception is that when Confirmation is administered (called "Affirmation of Baptism") only the candidates recite the Apostles' Creed--from memmory--a sort of a final exam.

23
posted on 08/10/2008 6:19:29 PM PDT
by lightman
(Waiting for Godot and searching for Avignon)

The Nicene-Constantinopolitan or Nicene Creeddraws its great authority from the fact that it stems from the first two ecumenical Councils (in 325 and 381). It remains common to all the great Churches of both East and West to this day.

-Catechism of the Catholic Church §195

Summary History of the Nicene Creed(Excerpt from Father Edward McNamara's Zenit column, June 26, 2006

The perspective the creed as we know it was first sketched out at the Councils of Nicaea (325) and Constantinople (381) although in its developed form it first appears in the acts of the Council of Chalcedon (451).

This creed was probably based on a baptismal profession of faith and encapsulated what were perceived as the essential tenets of the faith.

Above all it was a response to Arian and other heresies and defended the doctrine of the Trinity and Christ's true humanity and divinity. [...]

The practice of reciting the creed at Mass is attributed to Patriarch Timothy of Constantinople (511-517), and the initiative was copied in other churches under Byzantine influence, including that part of Spain which was under the empire at that time.

About 568, the Byzantine emperor Justinian ordered the creed recited at every Mass within his dominions. Twenty years later (589) the Visigoth king of Spain Reccared renounced the Arian heresy in favor of Catholicism and ordered the creed said at every Mass.

About two centuries later we find the practice of reciting the creed in France and the custom spread slowly to other parts of Northern Europe.

Finally, when in 1114, Emperor Henry II came to Rome for his coronation as Holy Roman Emperor, he was surprised that they did not recite the creed. He was told that since Rome had never erred in matters of faith there was no need for the Romans to proclaim it at Mass. However, it was included in deference to the emperor and has pretty much remained ever since, albeit not at every Mass but only on Sundays and on certain feasts.

Eastern and Western Christians use the same creed except that the Latin version adds the expression "filioque" (and the Son) to the article regarding the procession of the Holy Spirit, a difference that has given rise to endless and highly complex theological discussions.

I believe in one Godthe Father almighty,maker of heaven and earthof all things visible and invisible.

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,the Only-begotten Son of God,born of the Father before all ages.God from God, Light from Light,true God from true God,begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through Him all things were made.For us men and for our salvationHe came down from heaven.

(At the following words, up to and including and became man, all bow)and by the Holy Spirit was incarnateof the Virgin Mary,and became man.

For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate,He suffered death and was buried,and rose again on the third dayin accordance with the Scriptures.He ascended into heavenand is seated at the right hand of the Father.He will come again in gloryto judge the living and the dead.His kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of lifewho proceeds from the Father and the Son,who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,who has spoken through the prophets;I believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.I look forward to the resurrection of the deadand the life of the world to come. Amen.

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